The Guardians announced the signing of 25 international prospects Monday afternoon, including one of the top-ranked players available from around the world.
The Guardians' 2024 class is highlighted by Robert Arias , ranked as the No. 13 international prospect by MLB.com.
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Arias, a centerfielder, is considered a "premium" athlete who has the potential to utilize plus tools across the board, according to an MLB.com profile. Arias is also considered to have above-average bat-to-ball skills for this age. He trains in the Dominican Republic.
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Arias figures to add another left-handed outfielder near the top of the Guardians' prospect rankings, joining Chase DeLauter and George Valera .
"While their professional baseball journey is just beginning, today celebrates the culmination of a lot of hard work, perseverance and sacrifice over the years, not only for the players, but also their families and trainers who have supported them along the way," said Guardians director of international scouting Richard Conway in a statement. "Today is also an exciting time for our organization. Our scouting staff worked tireless to identity and get to know the best young players across the globe."
The Guardians also announced that they have signed all six of their remaining arbitration-eligible players to one-year deals for the 2024 season.
Starting pitcher Shane Bieber agreed to a one-year, $13.125 million deal last week. In November, outfielder Ramon Laureano agreed to a one-year, $5.15 million deal.
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The remaining six players included starting pitcher Triston McKenzie ($1.6 million), first baseman Josh Naylor ($6.5 million) and relievers Sam Hentges ($1.162 million), Nick Sandlin ($1.075 million), Scott Barlow ($6.7 million) and James Karinchak ($1.9 million) for a combined $18.94 million.
In addition to Bieber's $13.125 and Laureano's $5.15 million, it brings the Guardians' total to $37.215 for their eight arbitration-eligible players. That, in turn, brings the Guardians' projected 2024 Opening Day payroll to roughly $90 million, according to Baseball Prospectus . The Guardians opened last season with a payroll of around $89 million, which ranked 25th in the league.
Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Guardians at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/cleveland-guardians. Follow him on Twitter at @ByRyanLewis .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Robert Arias, 13th-ranked international prospect, signed by Guardians
